Spring clip



1954 s. w. SAM

SPRING CLIP Filed June 17, 1952 1 1- 1 F 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Aug. 3, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The invention relates to a spring clip for holding securely the end of a wire of an electric circuit.

An object is to devise such a spring clip on the principle of a sprung spring clip having a pair of U-jaws one nesting in the other.

I attain this object by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a blank from which one form of the spring clip is made;

Figure 2 is a side view of a form of the spring clip corresponding to the blank shown in Fig ure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of a blank from which an alternative form of the spring clip is made; I

Figure 4 is a side view of the alternative form of the spring clip; and

Figure 5 is a side view of a double loop form of the spring clip.

In Figure 1 is shown a blank consisting of a short length of tubing made of spring temperable stainless steel by cold extrusion. The cold extrusion process spring tempers the tubing. A special heat treatment for spring tempering the tubing is not necessary. The blank has a uniform right cross-section and a suitable length of one-half inch. The blank consists of two flat, parallel portions 2 and 3, a lever portion l, and a cylindrical spring loop portion 4 while the spring clip is being made, the two flat, parallel portions 2 and 3 are pried apart and then each fiat, parallel portion 2 and 3 is form stamped by a forming punch and die to form the two U-jaws 5 and 6. The resulting U-jaws 5 and B are released from the prying action whereupon the U-J'aws 5 and 6 spring strongly against each other by the spring tension of spring loop portion 4. U-jaw 5 nests snugly in U-jaw 5. The middle part of U-jaw 6 contacts the middle part of U-jaw 5 and presses strongly against the middle part of U-jaw 5 by the tension of spring 100p portion 4. Lever portion I is adapted to cooperate with spring loop portion 4 to pry apart U-jaws 6 and 5 by pressing down lever portion I while spring loop portion 4 contacts an abutment such as a wall in order to insert or remove the end of a wire of an electric circuit.

In Figure 3 is shown a blank which differs from the 'blank shown in Figure 1 in that it has two lever portions 1 and instead of one. In Figure 4 is shown a spring clip which differs from the spring clip shown in Figure 2 in that it has two lever portions 1 and I0 instead of one. Both lever portions 1 and ID are adapted to cooperate with spring loop portion H serving as a fulcrum to pry apart U-jaws l2 and I3 by pressing the two lever portions 1 and H] together.

In Figure is shown a spring clip which difiers from the spring clip shown in Figure 4 in that the U-jaws l5 and I9 are joined by another spring loop portion I? at their other end. Both pairs of lever portions 14, 20, i5 and I8 are adapted to cooperate with the spring loop portion 2| and 17 serving as fulcrums to pry apart U-jaws i5 and I9 by pressing each lever of each pair of levers I4, 20 and l6, 18 together simultaneously.

I claim:

1. A spring clip for holding securely the end of a wire of an electric circuit comprising a pair of U-J'aws disposed substantially in parallelism and joined at one end by a spring loop and joined at the other end by another spring loop, one U-jaw nesting snugly in the other U-jaw and pressing strongly against each other by the tension of the spring loops, said spring clip also comprising a pair of integral levers disposed at opposite sides of said pair of U-jaws, said levers serving to cooperate with the spring loops serving as fulcrums to pry apart said middle portions of said U-jaws, while said U-jaws are pried apart then said U-jaws constitute a tube having a variable length and an invariable width, said tube thus enabling the end of a wire to be conveniently inserted into and to be conveniently withdrawn from said tube.

2. A spring clip for holding securely the end of a wire of an electric circuit comprising a pair of U-jaws disposed in parallelism and joined at one end by a spring loop and joined at the other end by another spring loop, one U-jaw nesting snugly in the other U-jaw. the middle portions of said U-jaws contacting each other and pressing strongly against each other by the tension of the spring loops, while pried apart said U-jaws constituting a tube having a variable length and an invariable width, said tube thus enabling the end of a wire to be conveniently inserted into and to be conveniently withdrawn from said tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 67,100 Brinkerhofi -1 July 23, 1867 701,068 Mays May 27, 1902 776,549 Redington Dec. 6, 1904 904,594 Barmore Nov. 24, 1908 1,146,713 Kauifman July 13, 1915 1,150,073 Spengler Aug. 17, 1915 1,387,878 Allen Aug. 16, 1921 1,477,605 Steigerwald Dec. 18, 1923 1,844,774 Locki Feb. 9, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS I Number Country Date 19,501 Great Britain of 1904 (366,405 Germany Jan. 4, 1923 

